An important case involving the installation, service and programming of fire alarm systems was recently decided in Illinois. A group of individuals employed by the defendant filed a complaint asserting claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, as well as a claim for unjust enrichment.
The defendant is a seller of fire alarm systems and also designs, manufactures and programs those systems. The plaintiffs are the defendant’s current and former employees who worked on public projects in Illinois. When a customer purchases a system, the defendant supplies a fire alarm panel and the associated components, such as smoke detectors, pull stations, heat detectors and strobes, and the electrical contractor installs at the customer’s location the electrical wiring, the fire alarm panel and the components.